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Judge Orders Independent Aaron Day on 2026 Ballot

8/15/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. District Judge Andrea K. Johnstone recommended a court order to place independent Aaron Day on New Hampshire’s 2026 Senate ballot.
Deputy Attorney General James T. Boffetti said the New Hampshire DOJ will review the recommendation and has seven days to object.
Day’s June filing was rejected for lacking Nashua voter registration, prompting a federal suit after the Ballot Law Commission upheld the decision 4-1.

History

Historical Context

In 1983 the Supreme Court’s Anderson v. Celebrezze struck down Ohio’s 30-day filing deadline, with Justice William Rehnquist noting it protected roughly 5 percent of primary voters. The ruling followed earlier decisions such as Williams v. Rhodes (1969) and reflected the Court’s mixed approach to ballot-access limits in the 1970s-1990s. The 2024 New Hampshire case against independent Aaron Day revives this constitutional dispute.

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Story summary

U.S. District Judge Andrea K. Johnstone recommended a court order to place independent Aaron Day on New Hampshire’s 2026 Senate ballot.
Deputy Attorney General James T. Boffetti said the New Hampshire DOJ will review the recommendation and has seven days to object.
Day’s June filing was rejected for lacking Nashua voter registration, prompting a federal suit after the Ballot Law Commission upheld the decision 4-1.

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